


Sharing

by MariaJonsson



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-07
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 20:46:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/957438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariaJonsson/pseuds/MariaJonsson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brandon survives the rebellion having fought along side his brother instead of storming to King's Landing. So when his and Catelyn's marriage starts deflating he comes up with a plan to have his brooding brother and dutiful wife get together so that he can do as he pleases.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catelyn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All mistakes are my own since I have yet to find someone to read my stories over for me. The rating for the first chapter is PG but will change with later chapters. Hope you all like it :)  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters and background belong to George R.R. Martin. This is just for fun.
> 
> The first chapter is from Catelyn’s perspective. Brandon’s decision and Ned’s reaction from Catelyn’s perspective.

The air was cold and dry, and Catelyn could feel the hairs on her arms rise up. Brandon was staring at her, a grin on his face. He had just spent the entire evening trying to convince her that it was her duty to bed his brother, like that was a part of their marriage vows. He had not yet convinced her, when someone knocked on the door of her bedchamber. Brandon bade the person at the door to enter and Ned walked in looking a bit confused.

"You wanted to see me," Ned asked, averting his eyes when he saw that Catelyn was merely wearing her shift and a robe.

"No need to be so shy brother," Brandon joked, but Ned's face only turned to stone, his eyes staring at his brother with disbelief.

"Alright, I guess I'll leave the two of you alone," Brandon said, kissing her cheek on his way to the door. As he was about to leave, Ned grabbed his brother’s arm, pulling him back from the door.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ned growled, looking between his brother and good-sister.

Brandon pulled his arm from Ned's grasp and patted his shoulder. "Catelyn is going to help you relax a little," Brandon said, his smile widening even more when he saw that Ned understood his meaning, chuckling a little as he opened the door. "Don’t frown brother, it wouldn't be the first time we shared a lady."

Brandon closed the door, leaving them there alone, the coldness finally getting to her and she walked over to close the windows, Brandon had thrown open when he came in, telling her that his frigid brother was not fond of heat, for he might melt.

Catelyn felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up into Ned’s eyes, as he stood next to her, pulling one of the furs around her shoulders.

"I'll close them, you should go sit by the fire before you become ill," he said, in a calm voice, although his eyes still told her of the anger built up beneath his courtesies.

Catelyn managed to whisper a thank you before retreating, curling up in one of the chairs in front of the fire. It was a rare occurrence for her to have to light a fire in her chambers, for the walls would usually suffice, but the last few days had been especially cold, forcing her to stay near her chambers, even during the day.

Ned dropped into the chair opposite her, after pulling the windows shut, his head falling into his hands. Silence raining for what feels an eternity before Ned can bring himself to look upon her, his mask falling away to reveal his uncertainty.

"You do not have to worry, my lady," he said, one of his hands gripping the other as if to stop it from reaching out. "I have no intention of taking advantage of you, no matter what my brother intends."

Catelyn looked into his eyes again, and she understood, already knew, that Ned would never force himself upon her. Nevertheless, Brandon expected her to seduce his brother, and she has no idea what she would say if she was unable to do so.

"Has he lost his senses?" he said angrily, startling Catelyn. "Does he truly expect me to bed his wife?"

Ned stood up and went to stand near to the hearth, staring down into the flames, refusing to even look at her. Catelyn looked down at her hands and found the courage to speak, squaring her shoulders and lifting her head, she still had her pride, despite the words that then left her lips. "If I do not please you, my lord, I’m sure Brandon can find someone who will better suit your needs."

Catelyn has no clue as to what her good-brother might want in a woman, she has never seen him with anyone. When Brandon threw one of his many banquets, Ned never danced nor spoke to any of the ladies at court, except for Catelyn, and she has never heard any of the servants talk about women Ned has gotten with child, and not once has she heard a rumour that Ned visits the brothels in Winter Town, unlike her lord husband. In fact, the only clue that Ned has had a woman was his bastard son, the one whom followed in her little girl’s footsteps.

Catelyn was unprepared for the fury that is apparent on her good-brother’s face as he turned around to face her, his fists clenched so his knuckles turned white.

“Has Brandon done this before?” he demanded. “Catelyn! Has he offered you to other men against your wishes?”

Ned walked over to stand in front of her, and before she can react, he pulled her to her feet, the fur she had around her shoulders fell on the floor, pooling around her feet.

"No! Of course not," she spoke quickly, a hint of irritation at the suggestion, the words spoken before she could think of what she said, before she can remember why he asked in the first place. Before tonight she would have thought it impossible for Brandon to ask her to betray her wedding vows but now...

"If he has, I need you to tell me. My lady, do not lie to protect him," he said, staring straight into her eyes, as if he was daring her to lie to him.

Catelyn quickly pulled away, averting her eyes away from his, putting some distance between them, by taking a step back, placing the chair between them.  
  
"Brandon had never asked anything like this of me before. I have never broken my marriage vows, though I cannot say the same of your brother," Catelyn spit out, her pride more bruised than she would ever admit, and once more she has spoken before thinking, although it is not as if it is a secret that Brandon often forgoes his marriage bed in favour of a another, the evidence scattered around the North, and probably elsewhere if Catelyn is honest with herself.

“Brandon has not been a faithful husband, but we had hoped you soon have a son, setting your place here in stone, preventing ambitious men from trying to influence Brandon. Although, now I’m not so sure he has not completely lost his mind.”

“What we?” Catelyn asked, wondering whom Ned had spoken with about matters such as these.

"Maester Luwin and I have spoken of it, though I know some of the bannermen are concerned, even if they do not speak up," Ned said gently.

Catelyn crossed her arms over her chest, bitterness burning inside her. "How am I supposed to have a son when my husband would rather send his brother to my bed then come himself."

"I'm sorry, my lady. I did not mean to offend,” he said, stroking a hand through his hair before continuing. “We had hoped that Brandon would mature and take his role more seriously when Father died. That he would take his duty more seriously, a foolish hope perhaps, since it seems that he will not and now he uses his authority as Lord of Winterfell to entertain himself."

Ned appeared angry and a bit ashamed, even though he has nothing to feel shame over, he could not change his brother's ways, no more than she could.

"In the beginning, I thought something was wrong with me, that I was somehow to blame for Brandon's ways, but it seemed no matter how many times he came to my bed, he always craved the chase, and once I had been won I could no longer satisfy his needs." Catelyn said, more to herself than to Ned.

"Father used to call it the wolf blood, Lyanna had a touch of it and it drove her to an early grave and Brandon has always had more than a touch, and now it seems to consume him and is driving him to madness," Ned said, sitting down again as if the weight of his siblings’ choices was weighing him down.

"He is a good man, Ned, and he wants to be a good lord." Catelyn said, knowing her words to be true, but also hoping that they will bring him comfort.

"I know," he agreed, though he also shook his head. "But sometimes that just isn't enough. Winter has not passed and yet Brandon is behaving as if it is a Southern summer. He spends too much time throwing feasts, and too little listening to the smallfolk. He thinks this is all a game and if he is not careful, many of them might die while we sit around feasting."

"He won't let that happen, surely he won't," Catelyn whispered, sitting herself back into her chair as well, pulling her feet up, wrapping her arms around them.

For a while they sit there staring at one another, challenging each other to look away. Catelyn looked at him and thought of the first time she saw him, when Brandon and he came home from the war, welcoming them home with Lana in her arms, although the two had only arrived a sennight before. Brandon had taken a look at his Tully looking daughter with his sister's name with hidden disappointment. Whether it had been Lana’s looks or her sex, Catelyn did not know, although she suspected that it had to do with how little Lana resembled the late Lyanna Stark.

Ned for his part had greeted her in a calm manner, as was his way, and congratulated her on her marriage and child. If he was disappointed that Lana looked nothing like his sister, he did not show it, and as more time passed and it became clear that her daughter would not become more Stark like, he had confided in her that he was glad that she could make her own way and not be trapped by his sister's ghost, and Catelyn agreed.

A smile passed over her lips as she thought of her spirited daughter, Ned must have noticed because he looked at her with a strange expression.

"Why do you think he did this? Did he truly think I would just take you to bed? That I would come to your bed against your wishes?"

Catelyn is unaware as to what Brandon’s motives might have been, especially with how possessive Brandon usually was, even before they were married, Brandon had rarely allowed other men to dance with her, and since their marriage, only Ned and Benjen had been allowed to dance with her more than the occasional short dance. Brandon would usually cut the dance short, and pull her to the side, holding her closer than he usually would as if to show his dominance. Acting as if she was a toy he did not want to share, even though he usually didn’t want to play with it himself.

“I think he wants to unburden his conscience,” Catelyn finally said, shrugging her shoulders.

“What do you mean?” Ned asked.

"When he beds other women, he doesn't want us to be standing over him, judging him. He doesn't want my embarrassment and your disappointment to follow him at feasts when he sneaks away with Lady Dustin or some poor kitchen maid,” she explained.

Catelyn giggled at his shocked look; as if it were not common knowledge that Brandon frequently took the widow of his fallen friend to bed. The same woman Brandon often tried to match Ned with, against both of their wishes, the Lady Dustin no more interested in Ned than he was in his brother’s mistress.

"If you have bedded me, Brandon probably thinks that the two of you are even, and that you cannot judge him from straying away from our marriage bed,” Catelyn said, wondering how much thought Brandon had actually put into this.

Ned stroked a hand over his beard before speaking, "If that was his intent, then I guess he is going to be very disappointed in the morning."

Catelyn was about to protest when he put his hand up, silencing her, "It has nothing to do with me not finding you desirable. You are a beautiful woman, and Brandon should not treat you as he does. However, you are not mine to have and what if I got a child on you? What would Brandon do then? Would he raise my child as his own and should you have a boy, would he name it his heir?”

"So he says," Catelyn answered.

"What?" Ned exclaimed, his mouth open and his grey eyes staring at her in disbelief.

"That is what he said when I asked him. He said the babe would be a Stark and so it did not matter, although he was also certain you would take great care and not make another bastard,” Catelyn answered truthfully, not sure if she should laugh or cry at Brandon’s clear dismissal of her feelings on all of this.

To Be Continued…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The next chapter will hopefully be up before next Friday if school doesn't bury me alive, but that chapter will be from Ned's perspective.


	2. Ned I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catelyn and Ned’s conversation continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This one took me a little longer than I hoped since it was the first time I have written something this explicit, I’m not 100% happy with it but I don’t think I’ll ever be so I hope you like it and keep on reading and enjoying this little story.  
> Thanks to all those that read my story.
> 
> Warning: Be aware that the following content does include some foul language as well as sexual references. Proceed at your own risk.

Ned couldn’t believe what he was hearing; it was atrocious enough that Brandon had offered his beautiful wife to Ned, but another thing for Brandon to care so little for Catelyn’s pride and honour that he would command her to whore herself out, his own lady wife, the mother of his child, the woman whom Ned would gladly have taken to wife, and never shamed her like this.

“What was referring to when he said that this wasn’t the first time you had shared a lady?” Catelyn asked, suddenly.

Ned felt a strange flush in his cheeks, and Catelyn hid her face in her hands, and Ned thought at first that she was crying when she was in fact laughing.

“It must be a good tale for Eddard Stark to blush over,” she said between fits of giggles.

“It isn’t something I take pride in, my lady,” Ned answered truthfully, recalling Ashara’s dark hair, and the mischief in her violet eyes as she had taken him into her mouth that night at Harrenhal.

Ned looked up at Catelyn, staring into her river blue eyes and down to her full pink lips, and once more his face felt uncomfortably warm.

“It must have been quite the night for you to become all red as if you were a Tully of Riverrun, and not a frozen Stark of Winterfell,” she teased him, biting into her lip to keep herself from laughing.

“You must keep it to yourself, if I speak of it,” Ned asked, feeling braver than he normally would, then again there was nothing normal about this situation.

“I promise,” she replied, hugging her legs to her chest, pulling her white shift down over them.

“Brandon and I, at Father’s request, took Lyanna and Ben to Harrenhal, to represent House Stark at the tournament your uncle held there during the Year of the False Spring,” Ned said, pausing to think back to those eventful days. “Brandon might not have said so, but he was pleased that Lord Tully chose not to attend in person, for Father had insisted that it was high time for Brandon to wed you, and he saw this as his last ride as an unmarried man.”

Ned looked up to gauge her reaction, but her face was blank, unusually void of emotions, and she merely nodded.

“Father didn’t want to go because he heard that there was to be a meeting about overthrowing the King, and he did not want us involved. Funny how things turn out,” Catelyn answered.

“Yes. I often wonder what had happened if Father done the same, if perhaps he and Lya might still live,” Ned said, although knew deep down, that it did no good to dwell on the past, but The Tournament at Harrenhal had been turning point in all of their lives, and so it was often on Ned’s mind.  
Catelyn did not reply, only lowered her feet to the ground and shifted so that she could pull his hands into hers, waiting patiently for him to continue.

“At one of the feasts, we saw a lady from Dorne, she was most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but I was to shy to ask her to dance, so Brandon asked in my stead,” he said, his fingers stroking circles on the back of his hand with his thumb.

“When the night was late, she took me to her tent and…” Ned stopped, not knowing how much she wanted to hear.

“You took her to bed,” Catelyn finished for him.

“Yes, well no, not really. I… I couldn’t give her anything, not my promise that I would wed her, or that I loved her, so it did not go that far,” Ned said, recalling Ashara’s strange smile after he had pleased her yet made no move to take it further, instead bidding her good night and returning to his own camp.

“Does Brandon know that you did not bed her?” Catelyn asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“No, I don’t think so. Not unless she told him. I never spoke to her again during the tournament. I was too embarrassed, however when I went to Starfall to return her brother’s sword, she told me that she and Brandon had been together and that he had gotten a child on her…”

Ned doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Catelyn had pulled away, and rushed to her feet.

“You brought Brandon’s bastard into my home!” she cried.

Ned quickly got to his feet as well, and tried to grab a hold of her hand, but Catelyn yanked it away and backed away from him, snarling as she spoke. “Does Brandon know? Is that why he doesn’t want to risk getting another child on me? Because he wants Jon to become his heir?”

Catelyn looked angry and terrified at the same time, and Ned didn’t know what else he could do, so he pulled her towards him, fastening his body and arms around her, holding her tight even though she struggled against him, her fists beating against his chest.

“Jon isn’t Brandon’s son,” he whispered into her hair, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “Brandon’s child died at birth, a little girl. I would never have brought Jon here if he were Brandon’s child. I’m sorry I should have explained more clearly.”

Catelyn stopped pounding on his chest and wrapped her arms around him, and Ned could feel her breasts pressed against him, her head resting under his own. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and kept rubbing his hand over her back.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Catelyn whispered, wiping a tear that had fallen from her eyes away. “I’m sorry I thought ill of Jon, he’s a good boy.”

“It’s alright, you would have every right to be angry with me if it were true. Besides, it is very kind of you to allow him and Lana to play together, I know not every lady would allow a bastard to play with their children.” Ned said, smiling softly at the thought of his niece and nep… no son, Ned quickly corrected himself.

“I’m not entirely confident that I would be able to stop it, even if I wanted to,” she replied with a soft smile. “Lana was determined to have him as her playmate from the moment her eyes landed upon him, and to be honest I’m not certain whose influence is worse. Although, I think I know my daughter is more to blame than your son. Not unlike your adventures with Brandon, I’m sure.”

Both of them laughed at that, and Ned knew it to be true. Brandon had always been the one to suggest this or that, and Ned’s only choices were to either follow his brother and try to minimize the damage, or to let Brandon go out on his own, and probably get himself killed. Ned often suspected the reason he and his brother had been fostered so young, were not only to obtain political bonds outside the North, but also to separate the two of them. After their Lady mother passed, Brandon merely got wilder, dragging Ned into all sorts of trouble, and Rickard probably hoped that separating them would calm Brandon and help Ned to stand on his own, although that plan did not go so well, as Brandon got wilder and Ned found another boy to follow into all sorts of mischief.

It dawned on Ned that he still held his brother’s wife in his arms, only it felt so natural it had not even occurred to him to release her, as if this was how it had destined to be, like the Gods had made them to fit. Catelyn seemed to have taken notice of their entanglement as well, and she slowly pulled back, her face turning a shade of red, not unlike that of her hair, the red tint running down her neck and the top of her bosom, at least what he could see of it above her shift, and an unwelcome thought passed in his mind as to how far down the blush reached, if her teats were also covered with red, smooth and rosy.

“Are you enjoying the view, my lord?” Catelyn asked in a playful manner, and to his embarrassment it takes him a few moments to look from her chest up to her lips, and then finally towards her blue eyes.

This time, he was the one to blush, and tried to choke out an apology, only for her to smile, one of her hand reaching up to touch his already burning skin, the long fingers running over the stubble on his cheek, before sliding behind his head, curling in his hair as she pulled his head down so their lips meet in a sweet kiss.

Her lips are dry, yet warm, and when she pulled back, he pushed forward, sliding his hand behind her head, tilting it slightly to the side, capturing the opportunity when she moaned, to slide his tongue inside her mouth, stroking his softly against hers. Her hands slide from his own hair, and down to his shoulders, her fingertips pressing into the muscles underneath.

The moment ended when he felt the need for air, and he pulled back from her, observing her quick breaths, and her fingers digging into his shoulders, even as his grey eyes never wander away from her blue ones, one of his hands still tangled in her auburn hair.

Before either of them speak, before Ned can process properly what has occurred, Catelyn stood up on her toes and pressed her lips once more against his, locking her arms around his neck. The kisses quickly become sloppy and wet, his lips leaving hers to travel down her neck, leaving open mouth kisses on her warm skin and light sucking on the skin where her shoulder meets her neck. Catelyn unlaced her arms from his neck, when his lips return to hers, the tip of her tongue stroking against the seam of his, and he quickly opened his lips, not noticing when she dropped her robe to the floor, leaving her only in her thin shift.

Ned’s hands moved down her body, subtly pressing her closer to him, his hands running over her behind before grabbing under her thighs, pulling her up against him, her long legs instinctively locking around his hips, before he walked them towards the large bed. Catelyn broke their kiss, moving her lips across his cheek and neck, making him jump when she licked over the shell of his ear, her laughter jingling in his ear when he threw her on the bed, his eyes watching as her teats bounce when she lands in the middle of it.

Catelyn then laughed even more, and Ned thought to himself how much he has missed seeing this side of her, the carefree and youthful side, the side he had seen when she first arrived here, when she had been hopeful and happy, for she was far to young to be bitter and lonely, and she deserved so much more than Brandon has been willing to give her.

She quickly grew impatient with his lack of movement, and she sat up, her hands reaching for the laces of his breeches, one of her hands pulling on his doublet indicating she wanted it off. Ned dragged her hands away, only receiving a slap and a frown in reward and she pulled on the waist of his pants, dragging him towards her.

“We should not do this,” Ned said softly, offering her a way out of this before there are no means of escape.

“We are not doing anything wrong,” Catelyn said with grin, pulling him even closer, pushing up to place a kiss on his lips. “Brandon already gave us permission, in fact he told me not to allow you to leave before you were satisfied and would stop frowning all the time.”

“He did not,” Ned said, frowning even though it was not his intention, and he rolled his eyes softly at her little giggles.

“Oh, but he did,” she said, a troubling look in her eyes. “You wouldn’t want me to defy my lord husband, would you?”

Catelyn had almost gotten his laces completely undone when he grabbed her hands this time, her protests subdued when he pushed her back on the bed, her toes stroking against the floor. Ned quickly pulled his doublet and undershirt off, leaving his chest bare to her eyes. She gasped when she looked over his body, her fingers running over the large scar on his chest.

“What happened?” she whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against it.

“War, my lady. It is one of many, but I still breathe,” he replied, taking her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the fingertips, and Catelyn nodded her head.

Ned leaned down, pressing a kiss against her lips at an awkward angle, pulling away when she tried to deepen the kiss, and smirked at the pout on her lips.

Ned reached down, and pulled on her shift, but Catelyn shook her head, “No, just leave it on.”

“Why?” he asked, and his first thought was that Brandon had put his hands on her.

Catelyn became flushed again, and she looked away and whispered, “I don’t look the same.”

“The same as what, my lady?” he asked, confused.

“As I did before,” she replied, staring down on her hands. “Before Lana.”  
  
It takes him a moment, but he soon realized that Catelyn was referring to the marks that were left from when she carried Lana.

“Catelyn, look at me,” Ned said, waiting for her eyes to meet his before continuing, her eyes full of fear, fear of rejection. “We all have scars, and I will never think you are less beautiful because of yours. Especially since yours are a reminder of my beautiful niece, and how you got her safely into this world.”

A tear fell from Catelyn’s eyes, but before it could run down her cheek, Ned wiped it away.

“If you feel more comfortable, I won’t force you to take it off. I would never want you to do anything that you are not comfortable doing,” Ned said, watching her think, her teeth biting down on her lip, before a smile tugged on her lips.

“I know Ned, I only… no one has seen, other than the Maester and it is not the same,” she explained, tugging on the hem of her shift.

“You are the most beautiful woman I know, and I need not see you naked to know that, I only need to know that you feel safe,” Ned said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Catelyn leaned her head back, capturing his lips with hers, whispering softly, “Maybe Brandon isn’t the only charmer in your family.”

Catelyn pulled away from him, and in once quick motion pulled the shift over her head, allowing it to fall on the bed behind her, her loose hair falling down over her teats, the tips of her nipples peaking through the strands, her hands quickly coming up to cover them once she released the shift.

“Don’t do that, please,” he pleaded, pulling her hands way, allowing his eyes to roam over her large breasts and flat stomach, before falling down to the auburn patch of hair between her legs, a smirk of approval on his lips.

Ned could feel his half-hard manhood jump at the sight of her nakedness, and he subtly pushed a hand against it, relieving some of the discomfort. Her nipples harden from the either the cold or her arousal and Ned wants nothing more than to take them into his mouth.

“So beautiful,” he whispered to himself, as his hands travelled from her knee up her thigh, gripping around it to part her legs, placing one of his own knees between them, leaning forward so Catelyn is force to lie back on her elbows to accommodate him.

His hand kept moving forward, over her thigh, stroking her hip, and up her sides, a tremble running down her spine, pushing her hips towards him, his hand stopping once it reached her teats, her quick heartbeat drumming against his open palm. His thumb crept up and stroked over her hard nipple before retreating, then doing once more, his eyes carefully watching her mouth fall open as she let out a frustrated moan.

“Stop it, Ned,” she said, her voice laced with arousal.

“You want me to stop?” Ned said, leaning forward to whisper in her ear. “Because if you do, just say so, and I will leave.”

Catelyn arched her back, pressing her chest against his, when his hand stroked softly down her side, and she shakily spoke, “No, don’t go! Just please. Stop teasing. It is not fair.”

Why?” he asked, bending over to take one nipple between his lips, suckling on it, releasing it with a soft pop.

“Because…” she moaned, her hand running through his hair, pulling him closer despite her words. “Because you won’t allow me to tease you.”

“If you tease me, this will be over before we have begun,” he answered, pressing his cock against her thigh.

When he kneaded and kissed her teats, she moaned, begging to stop and fuck her. The vulgar word coming from her lips took him by surprise.

“Where did that come from, Lady Stark?” Ned asked.

“Oh, shut up, and get on with it before I finish this by myself,” Catelyn growled, and loved how her blush spread all over her face and neck, down to the top of her breasts, a shade far lovelier than he had imagined.

Moving from her teats, he pressed kisses against her stomach, paying special attention to the small silver lines that must have come when she carried Lana.

“You don’t have to,” she said warily.

Ned looked up and frowned, watching her chewing her lip forced him to place his hand on his cock again, but he does not allow it to deter him.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, never having known a woman who did not enjoy this.

“I do not want you to do something you find unpleasant,” she answered.

“Making you happy is the only thing I want,” he said, sliding off the bed so he was kneeling in front of her, pulling her legs over his shoulders, staring straight at her slick sex, his answer right in front of him.

Ned moved forward licking from her opening to her nub a couple of times before taking the nub into his mouth, sucking it softly, repeating the process with a bit more firmness. Her back arching up, forcing him to place an arm over her hips, holding her down on the bed. Her thighs tightening around his head when he continued, her relentless hips, giving him better access, and her fingers gripping his hair so tightly he was certain he’d lose some.

He moved his hand over and placed a finger inside her, then another, her wetness coating them, easing the movements. Her moans growing louder as she got closer and they spur him on. After a few minutes she pushed his face against her, a low scream left her lips, and she tightened her thighs around him, so hard he was certain he would suffocate, although at the time he cared little. Her thighs trembled before they loosen around him, and he could turn and press a kiss against the inside of it.

Ned wiped her juices off his face and fingers with his undershirt, and stood up. Catelyn laid there on the bed, her flushed chest rising and falling with each hard breath, then she suddenly sat up, her face still flushed, and a mixture of pleasure and determines in her eyes. This time, he does not push her away when she loosened his breeches, and he thrust his hips forward when her hand stroked over his cock. She took his movements as an invitation, and slipped her hand inside, stroking his cock from head to base.

He leaned forward to kiss her, pushing his tongue into her mouth, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue. Her hand was turned at an awkward angle so she stood up, grasping it better, making him groan into her mouth. Catelyn had nearly gotten him out of his pants when there was a knock on her door, and they both froze where they stood.

A little voice seeping through the oak door, “Mama, open the door, it’s me.”

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The next chapter will hopefully be up again in a week. But that chapter picks up from this one and also from Ned’s perspective.


	3. Ned II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of Catelyn and Ned's night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Managed to finish this one on time, woohoo. Hope you all like it, but this is the last chapter in Ned's point of view. Thanks again to the people that are reading this and a special thanks to the people who have left me a review or kudos.
> 
> Warning: Be aware that the following content does include some foul language as well as sexual references. Proceed at your own risk.

Ned tried to push his cock back into his breeches, at the same time as he tried to pull his doublet over his head. Finally, he managed to look half presentable, and he looked up towards Catelyn just as she pulled a robe around her. They shared a look before she walked over to the door, opening it and allowing the three-year-old to enter.

The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs, crying, “What took you so long, I was scared.”

Catelyn bent over and picked Lana up, placing her on her hip, and Lana looked over her mother’s shoulder, straight at Ned.

“Hi, uncle. What you going here?” Lana asked, rubbing her tired eyes.

“Lana! Mind your manners,” Catelyn softly reprimanded.

“Ipologiezes,” Lana yawned, placing her head back on Catelyn’s shoulder, her question already forgotten.

“Why are you not in bed, sweetling?” Catelyn asked.

“I had a bad dream, and I saw Father in the hall, so I knew I could come sleep with you,” Lana explained.

Ned cursed the blood that pooled in his cheeks in shame at the mention of the girl’s father, his own brother, and Catelyn’s lord husband, and the desire to run away overshadowed his need for Catelyn’s touch.

Ned reached out and allowed his hand to touch Catelyn shoulder, and she quickly turned around to face him.

“I should go, we can speak another time,” Ned said, his eyes lingering on his niece.

“No, please, wait a moment,” Catelyn said, and the plea in her voice, made him quickly nod his head, and he took a step towards the door, but did not leave.

Ned watched Catelyn place Lana down on the bed, the same bed he had been about to fuck Catelyn on, and in an attempt to diminish his shame, he looked away.

He heard Lana asking her mother where she was going, and Catelyn’s answer of reassurance that she would be right back, and only wished to have a word with her uncle right outside the door. Ned looked up when he felt her hand slip into his and followed her into the antechamber of her chambers, closing the door behind them, trapping them together in the small space.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t send her away,” she said, her eyes staring down on her feet despite her hand lingering on his chest.

“Of course not, and I would never ask that of you, nor would I expect it,” he said, stroking a finger down her cheek and under her chin, tilting it up so she met his eyes. “I know better than to get in the way of a she-wolf and her pup.”  
“You forget that I am a trout, not a wolf,” Catelyn replied with a smile and a roll of her blue eyes.

“In my experience, most mothers are she-wolves when it comes to their children,” Ned answered, smiling at her in return, putting distance between them as he prepared to leave.

Ned was about to turn around when Catelyn pulled him back, pulling his head down to hers, kissing him fiercely on the lips.

“I guess I will just have to return thefavourat another time,” she whispered, once she pulled away, although her body was still pressed against him.

Ned kissed her again, pushing her up against the door to her chambers, whispering softly against her neck, “You don’t own me anything, but perhaps when your attentions are not so split, we can take up this conversation once more.”

With those words, Ned untangled himself from her, and turned to leave, abandoning her there, before he lost control and fucked her against one of the walls. He walked briskly towards his own chambers, and quickly opened the door, slamming it behind him once he entered.

In a rush of motion, he had his breeches opened again, and his hand around his hard cock; with quick, practiced strokes he is emptying himself over his own hand, Catelyn’s name on his lips.

Ned had just finished cleaning himself, and had taken a seat on his bed, when the door to his chambers opened, and Brandon stumbled into the room.

“How was she, brother? Did she exceed your expectations?” Brandon asked with a smirk.

“Leave,” Ned growled, unwilling to get into a discussion about this with his brother.

“What is it? Not your type? I prefer dark hair, myself, but she’s pretty enough, and once you get her going, she can be a wild ride,” Brandon said casually, as if speaking of a whore he had visited and not the Lady of Winterfell.

Ned grabbed Brandon by the collar of his tunic, and even though Brandon had always been taller than Ned, Brandon’s drunken state, makes it easy for Ned to push him harshly against the wall.

“Do not speak of her in such a manner” Ned growled.

Brandon stopped struggling against Ned’s hold, and grinned up at him.

“My gods, you’re in love with her, aren’t you? You didn’t just want to bed her, you wanted HER,” Brandon said with a smile.

Ned released his brother, allowing Brandon to fall to the floor in a heap of laughter.  
“How does it feel, brother? Is your sense of honour killing you?” Brandon mocked him, all the while chuckling. “You give me scandalized looks, and all the while you are yearning for my lady wife.”

“I… I haven’t,” Ned tried to form a sentence, but he felt as drunk as Brandon must be. He couldn’t possibly be in love with her could he? Catelyn was beautiful, and kind, a good mother, and sometimes he would dream of her. But surely he couldn’t be in love with her!

Brandon’s loud laughter, pulled him away from his thoughts, and he looked down on the disgrace that was the Lord of Winterfell.

“You didn’t even know did you? Brandon said, laughing again.

“Just leave, Brandon,” Ned said, sitting down on his bed.

“Oh, come on, brother, there are other women. Not one in this castle would refuse a Stark of Winterfell, and soon enough you shall have a castle of your own, and you can fuck whomever you desire,” Brandon said, with a dreamy expression on his face, as if it was something he desired for himself.

The two brothers sat there for a while, until Brandon grew restless and managed to pick himself up off the floor, Ned’s last thoughts as he watched Brandon close the door, were of Catelyn and how hard the next years would be for her, for it seemed his brother had no intention of changing his ways.

\---

A fortnight had passed since that eventful night, and Ned had been sleeping when he awoke to a faint knock on his door. After managing to pull on a pair of breeches, he walked towards the door, swinging it open in displeasure.

Unexpectedly, he finds Catelyn on the other side, her auburn hair braided in a simple braid, her body only covered with a robe and a pair of slippers.

“Are you going to let me in, or do I have to stand here all night while you stare at me?” she joked, pushing her way past him, leaving him standing there while she started exploring his chambers.

“Are you going to close the door, or are you expecting more company tonight, my lord?” Catelyn asked, her fingers stroking over the grip of knife his father had given him before his death.

“And if I am, my lady? Are you planning on stabbing them with that? Because you should know, it has probably not been sharpened since the Age of Heroes,” he said, as he closed the door.

“Do not worry, I think I shall be able to keep my calm,” she said, leaving the dagger in its place.

“What are you doing here, my lady?” Ned asked, watching her movements as she walked around his chambers.

The soft smile that had graced her face fell, and in its place a frown formed, her arms crossing across her chest as she spoke, “Why are you avoiding me?”

“I have not been avoiding you, we have bother been busy,” Ned answered; despite knowing what she said was the truth, that he has been hiding.

“Do not lie, you are not nearly as good at it as your brother,” she hissed at him.

Catelyn walked up to him, standing so close he can smell the sweet scentoffher skin, her body trapping him against the door.

“Did I do something to offend you? Do you no longer wish to see me, because of what transpired between us,” she asked, despair seeping through, as her voice cracked.

Ned pulled her into his arms, encasing her with his arms.

“No, you have done nothing wrong,” he said. “I just needed some time to think, and I did not think it would appropriate for me to assault my brother’s wife in the Great Hall.”

“We are not in the Great Hall now,” she challenged him.

Ned didn’t have to answer, only leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, roughly picking her up, turning so that her back is pressed against the door, his lips moving down her neck, nibbling on her sweet skin, a fleeting thought towards the bruises he will undoubtedlyleaveon her perfect skin. He moved back towards her lips, eagerly opening his mouth, deepening the kiss, when her tongue pushed against his lips.

He tried to open her rope to run his hands on her skin, but the knot was not coming loose, Catelyn broke their kiss, giggling as her hands quickly untied the strips, her arms releasing him so the rope dropped to their feet. Ned’s hands quickly slipped under the hem of her shift, running up her thighs, stroking the soft skin, running up towards her hips.

“Do you always walk around the castle without anysmallclothes, Lady Stark?” Ned teased, no doubt left in his mind as to why she came here.

“Only when I come to see you,” she answered, and Ned rewarded her by pressing his leg between hers, allowing her move her hip against him.

Ned moved his hand between them, his fingers brushing against her sex, the beginning of her desire coating his fingers, using the wetness to rub over her nub, her hips moving forward, a strangled groan leaving her lips.

Watching Catelyn fight against her teachings, her eyes drifting shut as she leaned her head back, Ned moved his lips lower, kissing her neck and collarbones, cursing her shift when it blocks his access to her tits, and he quickly stopped, and she opened her eyes in surprise, and he pulled on her shift, and she quickly drew it over her head, leaving her bare in front of him.

Her teats are a lovely sight, full and white, with freckles dusted over the skin, her nipples hard and dark, moving forward, he captured one between his lips, suckling on them as he moved his hand between her legs, pushing a finger inside her once he felt her wetness grow.

“No, no more of this,” Catelyn moaned, pulling at his loose breeches with her own hands, taking his cock in her hand, stroking it with her long fingers.

Craving the feel of her around him, he pulled his hand away, wrapping it around her thigh, pulling her flush against him, and with one stroke, he swiftly pushed himself to the hilt into her, her cries only spurring him on as she raked her nails down his bare back, her hips thrusting out to meet his every stroke.

The room quickly filled with the sounds of their lovemaking, Catelyn’s moans mixed with the clashing of their bodies, and the occasional groan from Ned, and Ned prayed no one would come to investigate the strange noise.

Ned groaned and pushed her harder into the door when he felt her dig her nails into his flesh and he took pride in knowing he shall wear her marks in the morning, leaving one of his own on her skin, a mark on her left breast, where no one will see it, but he will know.

The sharp pull in his stomach, informed him he would soon spend, and he quickly slid a hand between them, stroking over her nub in tempo with his thrust,savouringthe look on her face as she came apart, her hands gripping on his shoulders, her head falling back against the door, his name on her lips as she tightened around him.

Ned slowed down, allowing her to relax, before pulling her tighter against him, pushing into her in deep quick strokes, until he spent himself deep inside her, his head falling to her shoulder, panting as her hand stroked through his hair.

Eventually his heart slowed down, and he placed her back on her feet, his arm circling her waist, waiting to see if she if balanced, before taking a step back.

“That was nice,” she said in a husky voice, a crooking grin on her swollen lips.

“I hope it was better than nice,” he joked back, feeling a stirring in his belly despite their recent activities.

Catelyn did not reply, only tilted her head to the side, and if she hadn’t been naked as hernameday, Ned might have taken the look of doubt on her face more seriously, instead he lifted her into his arms and threw her down on his bed, swiftly climbing between her parted thighs.

“Perhaps I can get another chance at proving myself,” he said, leaning down to press kisses on her teats.

“Mmm, maybe,” she sighed, arching her back when he took one of her nipples into his mouth.

Ned moved his hand towards her hair, quickly untangling it from the braid, enjoying the feel of her silky strands gliding between his fingers.

“I love your hair,” he whispered, twirling the strand around his finger, watching the curl turn straight when he released it. “You know, the Wildlings think it is a sign of good fortune, they call it kissed by fire.”

“So, are we to be a song then? The song of fire and ice,” Catelyn said, giggling until Ned silenced her with his lips.

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Unfortunately I won't be able to put the next chapter up until after Saturday the 28th of September, because I have a final exam that day and won't be able to finish writing it during the week. The next chapter will be from Brandon's point of view and will give a quick review of the next few years off their lives together.


	4. Brandon I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick overview of the next decade from Brandon’s point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the wait, hope I didn’t make to many mistakes trying to finish this and of course I hope you all like it. Thanks again to the people that are reading this and a special thanks to the people that have left me a review/ kudos.

When Robb came into the world, pink and screaming, Brandon could fool himself into thinking the babe was his, after all he had bedded Catelyn not long before she had told him she was with child.

Lana and Jon had been fascinated with this new thing that had been taking up all of Catelyn’s time, and at first they were excited by him, and in their opinion, tried to help Catelyn take care of the babe. Eventually, though, they grew tired of the babes crying and screaming, and quite frankly so had Brandon, and he avoided spending any significant time with his first born son.

Lana had soon started to begrudge her little brother, and his constant presence in her mother’s chambers, so one evening when Catelyn had come down to have a meal with them. Lana had asked that Robb be sent back to his home, her request had entertained the men in the hall, even Ned who had tried to hide a smile under his cup. Catelyn had smiled a little, and tried to explain to their daughter that Robb would no be leaving because this was his home, and at the same time, trying to reassure Lana that it did not mean that they loved her any less. Lana had pouted at the answer, but as with everything else, she had grown accustomed to it, and eventually had started to like her little brother, at least a little.

The whole North had rejoiced over the Stark, and Brandon heard whispers of other that since the Starks finally had an heir, surely more children would follow. Yet, Brandon knew there would be no more babes, not with Catelyn, for he had not been welcome in her bed for over a year, although he had seen his brother leave her chambers a few moons after Robb’s birth.

Brandon had raged at first of their betrayal, then sooner than he would have liked, he recalled how he had planned to have Ned distract Catelyn, so he could travel to Barrowton, to be with Barbrey. However, when he had gone to see Ned later that night, he had gotten the impression that nothing had happened, and when he had visited his wife’s bed a few nights later, she had informed him that he was no longer welcome in her bed.

Brandon hadn’t taken her seriously and when he had wanted to bed her the next time, she had barred her doors to him, informing him she was with child. Brandon had not been with her when she had carried Lana, so he had not questioned her when she had told him it would not be a good idea for them to lie together.

Robb had barely begun walking when Catelyn had come to his solar, to tell him she was with child for the third time. Brandon had started at her for a good while, unable to wrap his head around it, then he had just laughed, for it was to serious not to. Catelyn at least had the decency to blush, her cheek turning the same colour as her hair. He had asked if the babe was Ned’s, and while she couldn’t meet his eyes, she had nodded her in affirmation.

At first he couldn’t quite believe it, his honourable brother with his dutiful wife, he would have been mad, had the whole thing not been his idea to begin with. If Brandon hadn’t pushed them together, so that he could ignore the disappointed looks and silent criticism they sent his way, so for once they would be equally shameful, they would never have turned to one another.

Brandon had asked if she had told Ned, and she confessed that she had, and it dawned on Brandon that his brother’s sourness could probably be traced to the new of impending fatherhood, and not the news of Brandon’s departure to White Harbor.  
  
Sansa had come into the world quietly six moons later, the third Stark with Tully looks, although as Sansa grew, Brandon started noticing the Stark beneath Lana’s Tully colouring. Lana’s facial features, her mouth, her chin, were all him, and as she grew Brandon could detect a hint of wolf blood beneath the manners Catelyn so desperately tried to install in their daughter.  
  
Catelyn had been with child once more, two years later, when he and Ned had gone to fight against the Iron Islands. Catelyn had not cried not begged him to allow Ned to stay behind, instead she had reassured him, telling him to look after himself, and not be reckless. She had even kissed him, when they had ridden out, not a kiss of passion, but a kiss nonetheless.  
  
Brandon had soon felt a burning need to torch the letters she wrote Ned, for she wrote so many, constantly reminding him that Catelyn loved Ned more, that she would rather see him return to Winterfell, than Brandon, if only one of them could.

They careful at least, and no one had ever suspected that anything was amiss, Catelyn wrote Brandon’s name on the letter, concealing Ned’s within the one for Brandon. Brandon would usually receive letters as well, short letters of hope and encouragement, the occasional mention of the children the world thought they shared.

The war had been won, and they had both been sitting outside their tents, when Ned had told him Cat, that’s what he called her, had given birth to another little girl, one that apparently resembled the Starks more than the first three.

Brandon thought of the last time he had received news that Catelyn had given birth during a war, that time Catelyn had been at Riverrun, and Brandon had been fighting another Southern War, this one to safe his sister. Oh, how he had imagined that his new daughter would look like Lyanna, which was why he had named her such, Brandon also recalled the look on Ned’s face when he had told him that he had named his daughter after Lyanna, that sour look of disappointment, the same look Brandon had often seen on their father’s face.

When they road into Winterfell, Greyjoy’s heir in tow, he watched as their eyes met, and he sensed how desperately Catelyn wanted to throw herself into Ned’s eager arms. Nevertheless, Catelyn is ever the dutiful wife, greeting him with all of her children, the new babe nestled in her arms. Lana and Jon have both seen their sixth nameday, and so they both remember their fathers, Lana showing no restraint when she throws her little arms around his neck. Robb knew his duty, and with only a short side glance at his mother, bowed and offered his father a welcome. Poor Sansa remembers then not, hiding behind her mother’s skirts when Brandon and Ned came near, sucking her thumb into her mouth, pulling on Catelyn’s skirt, only her mother cannot hold both her and the new babe.

The first time Brandon laid eyes on her, he thinks of Lyanna. Not only does she have Stark colouring, she also has a strong resemblance to his lost sister. Ned might not remember, he had been young when Lya was born, but Brandon remembered, remembered the first time his Lady Mother had laid Lyanna carefully into his shaking arms, and told him how it was his and Ned’s responsibility to look after their baby sister, for she could not defend her like they could. It was the only vow Brandon ever took seriously, and in the end he could no more keep that, then the others.

Ned and Catelyn had named the girl Arya, the third child his brother had gotten on his wife, while Brandon only had the one. He no longer tried to fool himself into thinking Robb might be his, nevertheless Robb would be his heir. Brandon gradually distanced himself from his children, and spent more time away than he did at home, yet Winterfell kept going, the children grew up and apart from him, and it had not been six moons since Arya’s birth when Ned told him of Catelyn’s new wolf pup.

It was the first time Brandon truly lost it, shouting and cursing. Asking if his brother was incapable of not getting children on HIS wife, screaming about how they were supposed to be looking after Winterfell and not fucking like rabbits.

As soon as the words left his lips, he knew how it sounded, and he did not need to see Ned’s strange look, or watch as he left to realise how it must have sounded.

It was the day Brandon had made his final decision, finally doing something selfless, something for his family. He called them both into his solar, watching with a smirk as they squirm in their seats.

“I’m leaving,” Brandon said.

“Where are you going?” they ask simultaneously.

“I don’t mean on a trip,” he tried to explain. “I’m going to Essos. To all it will appear as if I have abandoned my responsibilities, my wife and my children. All I ask is that after this babe is born, you shall wait at least two years before making another, and no bastard at that.”

Ned squirmed in his seat when Brandon turned his eyes on him, yet his face was as unreadable as before, Catelyn looked confused.

“Why are you doing this?” Ned asked, the first to speak of the two.  
  
“What will happen to Winterfell?” Catelyn asked, before Brandon had a chance to answer Ned.

Brandon should have known they would rejoice, instead they are concerned with Brandon’s well being and the future of Winterfell.

“I might have been born and raised to be the Lord of Winterfell, but I do not take joy from it, and I shall be much happier with in Essos with a beautiful woman on hand, and a cup of wine in the other,” he said, with a smirk. “I only ask that you find my Lana a good husband when the time comes, some that makes her happy, not someone like me.”

Ned nodded his head, and Brandon left the room, returning to his chambers to begin packing, he had already informed Maester Luwin of his plan, and he had taken some coin, knowing his brother would send him some more would he require it.

He was about to turn in for the night when there was an urgent banging on his door. When he opened it Catelyn stormed inside, anger blasting in her blue eyes.

“Do you plan on telling anyone about Robb?” she demanded.

“Don’t worry wife, I’m not going to say anything to anyone. In the eyes of the realm they are all my children, even the pup resting within you now,” he said, walking over to her, running his finger through her loose hair.

Catelyn slapped away his hand, taking a step backwards, crossing her arms in defiance.

“You must speak with Lana,” Catelyn said, calmly. “She will not understand.”

“What is there to understand?” Brandon said, with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m leaving so that everyone can be happy, so that you and Ned can be together, so that you can be a real family.”

“It’s a lovely thought, Brandon, but they think you are their father,” she said, pausing for before whispering. “And you are Lyanna’s father.”

“I might be in name, and in blood to Lana, but they do not love as such, and even little Sansa calls him papa, don’t bother denying it, I’ve heard it,” Brandon said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Perhaps if you had made an effort to spend time with them, she would not do so,” Catelyn answered defensively.

“I’m not their father, so why should I pretend to be,” Brandon countered, his thoughts invaded by memories of a similar argument, one that ended with the birth of Sansa.  
  
Catelyn gave up on arguing with him, and left without so much as a goodbye, abandoning him to his fate, not seeing a reason to stay, Brandon did not wait until morning, riding out the gates of Winterfell that night, with no plans of returning for the foreseeable future.

\---

It had been seven years since he had left, seven years of summer since the night he had ridden out of Winterfell, and travelled to Essos, finding true happiness for the first time in his life. Having no one to tell him what to do, where he could drink, fight and fuck as much or as little as he pleased.

Despite travelling as far as Meereen, Brandon had spent the majority of his freedom in Bravos, for it was more to his liking than the other Free Cities.

Ned and Catelyn had been true to their promise and had waited three year before getting permission from the King to marry, although Brandon was almost certain they would have waited longer if another pup had not joined the pack, eight moons later, little Rickon, in honour of his grandfather.

Brandon, personally, thought the middle Stark son had to be the handsomest; at the very least, he had the best name. Despite being aware that all the children had Catelyn’s Tully looks, besides Arya, he liked to think that Bran resembled him a little.

Brandon was more intimidated about his return to Winterfell, than he would like to admit, nonetheless his heart raced when he spotted the white banner on the horizon, waving him home.

When he road through the East Hate, the courtyard was in full motion for the day, people walking about, doing their daily routine, and children running about; one of them, a little girl, almost running under his horse, a smaller boy running after her.

“Watch where you’re going mister,” the girl growled.

It only took Brandon a second to realize who she was, the stern look and fuming grey eyes reminding him of his sister.

“What are you looking at?” she asked with a frown, crossing her arms.

“Nothing, could you please tell me where I can find Lord Eddard?” he asked instead, the boy, who must be Bran, pointing towards the Great Keep.

Brandon walked to the stables with his Horse, greeting the Master of Horse with warm affection, before turning towards the Great Keep. He was about to burst into his… no, Ned’s solar, when he heard a loud groan come from behind the door, and he couldn’t keep the smirk from gracing his lips, knowing that his brother most likely had a woman with him. In a smooth motion, he threw open the door, and entered.

“I’m home,” Brandon called, startling Catelyn so much, she must have bitten down on Ned’s cock, which she had in her mouth, for he screams out in pain.

Brandon didn’t even wait while they make themselves presentable, sitting down on one of the chairs, putting his muddy boots on the desk, as he watched Catelyn lace up the front of her dress.  
  
“Hello brother,” Brandon said, nodding towards his brother before turning towards Catelyn. “Wife. Good to see some things have remained the same, for a minute there I thought my brother had a kitchen maid in here, because surly Lady Stark must have more important work to do. Especially with… How many again? Seven? With seven children to look after. By the way, I almost ran over two of them on my way in.”

Ned and Catelyn both were to shell shocked at his presence that it wasn’t until he mentioned meeting Arya and Bran, that Catelyn found her words.

“Are they alright?” she asked angrily, a faint flush in her cheeks.

“Oh, yeah, they’re good,” he said with a shrug.

To Be Continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hopefully I will finish the next chapter by next Friday but unfortunately I’m not super confident, but I guess we’ll see. The next chapter will again be from Brandon's point of view and the conclusion of this little story of mine.


	5. Brandon II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brandon's visit to Winterfell and the end to this little story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The review was a bit quick so I could post this on time, so hopefully you can forgive me for any mistakes. Thanks again to the people who stuck with this and once more a special thanks to the people that took the time to leave me a review or kudos.

In the next couple of days Ned had spoken off a few times of sending a raven for Ben up at the wall, so the two might see each other, after all it had been more than a decade since Brandon had last laid eyes on the little pup, also Brandon suspected Ned was trying to assess how long Brandon intended to stay.  
  
It is not until the second day that Brandon meets the children again, Lyanna, Jon, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and little Rickon, were all lined up to greet him, although Brandon suspected that only the oldest three had any memories of him, and even young Robb, undoubtedly had very few, the poor boy stumbling over how he should address him, no doubt having gotten used to referring to Ned as his father.

Sansa’s striking resemblance to Catelyn was even more apparent now, than it had been when she had been a babe, and out of the three Stark girls was the only one to have taken her Septa’s lessons to heart. Lya refused to even look upon him, and little Arya was fighting with her brother Bran. Although the two stopped when Catelyn coughed softly, all the children falling into line, mutters of welcomes leaving the large group.

After a few minutes of painful silence, Arya finally stopped pushing her little brother and looked up at him, “Why are you here?”

“Arya!” Catelyn, and Sansa, exclaimed.

“What?” Arya asked, shrugging her shoulders. “He’s been gone for most of our lives, what does he want now? We certainly don’t need him.”

Ned carefully place a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, turning her around to face him.

“Do not show Lord Stark such disrespect,” Ned said calmly, drawing a deep breath before continuing. “He’s your father.”

“No! He’s not!” she answered angrily, crossing her arms across her chest, and Brandon can easily imagine Lyanna’s frown on his niece’s face.

“It is alright, Ned,” Brandon said, shrugging as the girl had done. “The child has no memories of me.”

“No, it is not alright,” Ned answered, his grey eyes flashing in anger. “She needs to learn to show respect towards her elders. Now apologize to Lord Stark, Arya.”

Arya promptly turned around, her arms crossed and her words muffled.

“I don’t think Lord Stark heard that,” Ned reprimanded.

“I’m sorry I raised my voice, Lord Stark,” Arya said, looking up at Ned for approval.

Ned nodded, waving the younger children out of the room, little Rickon struggling to keep pace with the other two, when Catelyn swept him up into her arms.

“Sansa, why don’t you take Rickon and keep an eye on your siblings,” Catelyn asked, passing the wiggling toddler into the young girl’s arms. “Boys, I believe Ser Rodrik is waiting to start the training.”

The two boys quickly followed Sansa and the younger children, leaving him along with Ned and Catelyn… and Lya. Beautiful, and furious Lya, his only child, that he knew off, in any case.

Lya had grown into a beautiful young woman, a delicate mixture of Stark and Tully, her blue eyes and red hair complemented by pale skin and a slender figure, her face was long and a bit harsh, which only added to her allure. If he were not certain he had sired her, he might very well be more interested in her.

As if sensing his thoughts, Ned’s face was as hard as stone, his fist clenched at his sides. Only Catelyn’s touch relieves the tension built up in his brother.

“Lana is to be married to Smalljon Umber,” Catelyn said, shocking Brandon. As the Umbers are a loyal house, and so there would be no need to send his only daughter to freeze in some remote castle, specially a girl of her beauty.

“You do not plan on making a match for her South of the neck,” Brandon asked, voicing his thoughts. “Surly some house must have wanted the eldest daughter of Winterfell.”

“What concern is it of yours?” Lana spoke up, a similar look of defiance on her face as had been on her namesakes, the day Father had told her of her betrothal to Robert Baratheon. “You haven’t been here in seven years, and before that you never care either. You just gave us away.”

Brandon looked towards his brother, waiting for him to interfere, as he had done with Arya, but his brother made no moves to rein her in.

“I’m sorry, but I had to leave,” Brandon answered sheepishly.

“Because of mother and Ned?” Lya quickly asked, her eyes quickly looking towards her mother.

Brandon followed her glance, looking for a reaction from them, but neither seemed surprised by the accusation, and for a breath, Brandon contemplated laying the blame at their feet, although he knew he could fault no one beside himself.

“No,” he confessed. “No, I left because it was what was for the best.”

“Best for you, you never thought of us,” she bluntly stated, her face harder to read than Ned’s, and before Brandon could think of an answer, she walked out of the hall, her red hair flickering in the wind as the door closed behind her.

Brandon turned around to face Ned and Catelyn, the pair standing there, patiently waiting for him to speak.

“I guess she’s pretty mad,” Brandon said.

“You think?” Catelyn answered, her brow raising in question.

“What did you tell them?” Brandon wondered for the first time since leaving the gates of Winterfell.

“We told them you went on a trip to Essos, and we did not know when you would return,” Ned answered, his hand lingering behind Catelyn’s back.

“They bought that?” Brandon asked sceptical.

“No,” Catelyn said, just as Ned replied with a yes.

  
“Sooo, that’s a no then?” Brandon guessed.

“The older children think you left for yourself, and the younger ones rarely ask, for they have no memories of you,” Catelyn answered plainly, and Brandon can’t deny that it stung him a little.

“What was I supposed to do? Stay here? Watch the two of you together?” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “Be made a fool off when people realized that the children were not mine, but my brother’s?”

“That was your choice Brandon Stark. All of it. Ned and I might have gotten along well, even felt something other than kinship, but it was you that insisted it become more, it was you who left us. Long before you left Winterfell. If it had not been for you, Ned and I would never have crossed that line,” Catelyn said, her voice dangerously low. “So don’t come here more than ten years later, and try and lay the blame at our feet. We stayed. We took care of this family, of Winterfell and the whole North. I told you to speak with Lana before you left, and instead you sneaked out in the middle of the night, like a thief in the night.”

Catelyn gave him one last look of utter disappointment, before storming out, following after their daughter, leaving Brandon alone with Ned for the first time since Ned told him of Bran’s impending arrival.

“So, I guess you are mad at me as well,” Brandon said, slumping down on the nearest bench.

“No,” Ned answered quietly, sitting down across from him.

“You should have been the first born,” Brandon said, speaking more to himself than Ned. “It would have been easier.”

“What would have been easier?” Ned asked. “Father would have been just as determined for you to stop your wild behaviour.”

“Perhaps,” Brandon relented.

“I wanted to blame you, to yell at you for what you have done, or in your case haven’t done. To hurt you as much as you have hurt Cat and the children,” Ned said, stroking a hand through his hair. “But I can’t. Because that night, when you told Catelyn to bed me, that was the beginning of my life, and while it hasn’t been easy, I owe all of my happiness to you.”

Brandon nodded, not knowing how to reply, especially since Brandon had never thought of their happiness, only his own pleasure.

“What happened to the other one?” Brandon asked out of the blue, the thought suddenly striking him.

“What other one?” Ned asked confused.

“Your bastard’s mother, Jon’s mother,” Brandon asked, wondering why had never asked his brother before. “Did she die?”

Ned’s face turned a shade whiter, but his dark grey eyes reflected a pain he knew well himself.

“Yes, she died,” Ned answered, and Brandon waited patiently for more; a name, a place, but Ned said nothing.

“Nothing more?” Brandon asked, prying for more information. “Who was she? I want to know who managed to steal your heart so completely you never wanted to marry… well until you fell in love with my wife.”

Ned abruptly stood up, muttering, “This is not the place.” Before walking away, and Brandon quickly followed, waiting until they had reached the Lord’s solar, before asking again, his curiosity peaked further, and before Ned can answer, a thought suddenly comes to him.”

“He isn’t mine is he?” Brandon asked, curiously. “The babe Ashara had after Harrenhal? I was told it had died.”

Ned looked surprised, but his surprise changed to disappointment within a blink of an eye.

“No, the Lady Ashara gave birth to a girl, she was stillborn,” Ned said harshly, as if speaking her name was bringing further dishonour upon her.

“Do not look at me so! It might as well have been yours, and I think you have proven yourself much more capable than I,” Brandon cried out.

“No, it could not have been mine, for I never bedded her. I would not because I would not risk getting a child on her,” Ned answered in a calm voice, which only serves to irritate Brandon even more.

“So what of your bastard’s mother then?” Brandon growled, his anger quickly rising. “Was she just some common whore to rest your cock in during the war?”

Brandon had not anticipated his brother’s rage, and was unprepared when Ned yanked him from his chair by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the wall.

“That whore you speak of was our sister!” Ned growled.

Brandon’s eyes turn to Ned’s in shock, looking for a sign of a lie, only to find the same look of disappointment and regret.

“What do you mean?” Brandon finally asked once he came to his senses.

“Lyanna was with child when Rhaegar Targaryen went to the trident and died. I came to late, and Lyanna was already dying when I found her, her last words were for me to promise that I would protect her son at all cost, and the best way to do that was to lie and claim him as my own, to protect him from Robert,” Ned said, the world appearing heavy on his shoulders when he sat down across from him.

“Why did you never tell me? I deserved to know!” Brandon asked, irritated.

“I promised I would tell no one, so I did not for a long while. I took him home to Winterfell and said he was my bastard, for I knew no one would question me,” Ned answered calmly, ignoring Brandon’s statement.

“Does Catelyn know?” Brandon asked.

“Yes, I told her when she carried Robb, she asked about Jon’s mother, and I did not have it in me to lie to her, and I could trust that she would repeat my world to no one. She is the only one I’ve told,” Ned said.

“But you did not think I deserved to know? She was my sister, just as much as she was yours!” Brandon cried out, frowning. “Did you tell Ben?”

“No,” Ned said, shaking his head. “I did not have to tell him, Ben knew.”

Brandon stood up, shaking his head, trying to clear it, before leaving the room, and Ned along with it.

Brandon spent the next days watching his nephew carefully, trying to find a glimpse of his sister, or even Rhaegar Targaryen, but all he saw was Ned. That long face, and serious eyes.

Brandon was watching him help Robb, Ned’s real son, with his sword fighting, as the Greyjoy boy watched, laughing every time Robb did something wrong, making the young heir frown, reminding Brandon of Catelyn’s little brother.

The two boys in the yard could not look anymore different, and yet they shared blood, and a secret they were unaware of. One was claimed by Ned, but sired by another, the other was sired by Ned, but claimed by Brandon. Yet both boys called Ned their father, and both tried to imitate him in every way.

Brandon was staring out the glass of the bridge, down into the yard, when he saw a little figure climbing the side of the guesthouse, the sun catching in the auburn hair on the child’s head.

“Gods, I hate it when he does that, frightens me half to death,” a voice spoke softly, startling him. Turning to follow it, he saw Catelyn standing in the entrance with a sleeping Rickon in her arms.

“It is Bran then?” Brandon guessed.

“Yes. Like his namesake, he is working tirelessly at making me go grey long before my time, although he swears he will never fall,” she said with a small smile, turning her attention towards the boys in the yard.

“I heard you and Ned had a talk,” she said casually, watching her sons beat on the Greyjoy boy with their practice swords.

“You could say that,” he huffed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Catelyn turned to look at him; the frown on her face reminded him of the look that seemed permanently fixed there during the years of their marriage.

“It was not my story to share. Ned told me it in confidence, and quite frankly I always just assumed you knew,” Catelyn answered.

“Well, I didn’t!” he yelled, startling his nephew.

Catelyn softly hushed Rickon, the boy tucking his head into her neck, and promptly fell asleep once more.

“Brandon, you will gain nothing by fighting with Ned. What is done is done,” she said, in her usual matter of fact voice, which dug up recollections of his mother.

The two stood there in silence for awhile, but when she turned to leave, Brandon stopped her.

“Why do you think none of them look like us?” he asked. “Save for Arya.”

“I don’t know,” Catelyn answered with a shrug. “Will of the gods, perhaps, although Ned seems to think it is his will. He says it is better for them to resemble me than him, so long as they get his temperament. Sometimes he thinks he is much funnier than he really is.”

Brandon couldn’t help but laugh a little, since Ned had never really been funny, not even when they were children.

“I think I will leave again,” Brandon said then.

“So soon? You only arrive a few days ago,” she said, without feeling.

“Yeah, I don’t think it was a good idea to come back, it only confuses the children,” Brandon answered.

“If you must go, then go, but you know you are always welcome to stay as long as you would like, after all you are still the Lord of Winterfell,” she retorted.

“I don’t think I should be,” Brandon confessed. “I never was a very good Lord.”

“We can’t always choose what our fates are, and you were born to be Lord of Winterfell, whether you are good at it nor not,” Catelyn said, instinctively pressing her son tighter against her.

Brandon smiled at that, no matter how long she had been a Stark, she would always be a Tully, and she would always live by those words. That’s probably why she and Ned were always a better match, because Ned also understood duty and honour, and above else, Ned understood the importance of family.

\------------------------

Unlike last time, Brandon did not leave before bidding his daughter farewell, even if it had been through a closed door, which she had slammed in his face.

The other children had not giving his departure much thought, the older ones even seemed slightly relieved, even Jon, who so far hadn’t shown much interest in Brandon, looked relieved.

As Brandon road away from Winterfell, travelling north, he finally felt content. His – brother’s – son would become Lord of Winterfell, and with Ned’s guidance he’d hopefully make as good of Lord as his father would have.

Brandon’s crimes might not be as sever as some of the other Black brothers on the Wall, but it was time he paid for them, perhaps if he tried to earn back his honour his daughter might speak to him again, he might be able to attend her wedding with pride, and perhaps she would kiss his cheek as she had done when she was his little princess, and he her shining knight.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So this is the end. Thanks again so much for reading my work and hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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